No. 3 Parker Secures Second Straight Region Title With Victory Over 6th Ranked Homewood
HOMEWOOD, AL – The Parker Thundering Herd, ranked third in Class 6A, clinched their second consecutive region title with a 27-17 win over the sixth-ranked Homewood Patriots on Friday night at Waldrop Stadium.
The victory boosts head coach Frank Warren’s Thundering Herd to an 8-1 record, maintaining a flawless 5-0 in region play. Homewood, records its second loss of the season, slipping to 6-2, with a 4-1 mark in Class 6A, Region 5.
Parker set the tone with an early defensive stop, followed by a quick 74-yard drive. The drive was sparked by a Na’eem Offord 58-yard reception and capped off with Dylan Reese to Tarrance Gaines’ 16-yard touchdown toss, giving Parker an early 7-0 advantage.
However, Homewood (6-2, 4-1) responded with a 42-yard field goal from Whit Armistead followed by a Will Myers one yard touchdown run to push the Patriots ahead 10-7 late in the first quarter. Not backing down, Parker executed a methodical 15-play, 70-yard drive, culminating with a 5-yard touchdown run by Gaines, reclaiming a 14-10 lead.
R.C. Gartman of Homewood halted Parker’s subsequent drive with a fumble recovery as time wound down in the first half. Despite a promising start with a 15-yard pass from Myers to Kaleb Carson, Parker’s defense held firm, stopping the Patriots on a critical fourth-and-1. This led to Parker’s Offord scoring three plays later, extending the visitors halftime advantage to 21-10.
Reese connected with Sparks for a score on the opening drive of the third quarter, widening Parker’s lead to 17 points.
Homewood signal caller, Will Myers, was sidelined for the second half due to injury, but backup Kaleb Carson stepped up. He connected with J.T. Watts for a touchdown from just inside Parker’s five-yard line on the Patriots’ ensuing possession, cutting the deficit to 10 points midway through the third quarter but that was as close as the home team would get after a scoreless final period.
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Terence Gaines lead the Herd rushing attack, carrying the ball for 111 yards on 13 carries and scoring a touchdown, alongside a 16-yard touchdown reception. Chancellor Sparks contributed 41 yards on nine carries and a 26-yard touchdown reception. Quarterback Dylan Reese threw for 231 yards.
Looking ahead, Parker will visit winless Woodlawn (0-8) next week, while Homewood heads to Adamsville to face the 5-3 Minor Tenacious Tigers. A Homewood win secure home field advantage in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
